widen rear wheels

[sqrlgtr 3,938]

I thought I had seen on here where someone had cut a set of wheels with an angle grinder to widen them but cannot find it now. Also There use to be a video of widening wheels also but its no longer there, thought someone may have video saved and could share. Has anyone tried this before and what kind of luck did you have? Wanting to widen a set for some 26x12x12 tires. 

[ebinmaine 80,723]

@kpinnc or @19richie66

 

?

 

 

 

[ebinmaine 80,723]

@kpinnc or @19richie66

 

?

 

 

 

[kpinnc 18,967]

I've done this before just to see if I could- but will just spend the money next time on a wide set of wheels. It is alot of work. 

 

But yes I used a side grinder with cutoff wheels and a narrow strip of steel to align both sides when finished. I also used the tractor itself to both mark and cut the wheels. Just jacked up the rear and let the wheel spin in low range and don't try to cut much. Just let the grinder do what it does. 

 

The good thing was because of where my cuts were, the leftover parts make up some nice 6 inch wide spares. 

 

 

 

 

[ebinmaine 80,723]

6 hours ago, sqrlgtr said:

wheels

 

You may very well be money and time ahead of yourself to find a pair of wheel blanks like pullers use and weld in the centers to the correct backspacing.  ....?

[JoeM 10,268]

There always seems to be wide wheels at the big show. I know Miller Tire sells them on line.

I'm with KPinNC, lots of time involved not to mention you need two sets of wheels.

[sqrlgtr 3,938]

8 hours ago, kpinnc said:

I've done this before just to see if I could- but will just spend the money next time on a wide set of wheels. It is alot of work. 

 

But yes I used a side grinder with cutoff wheels and a narrow strip of steel to align both sides when finished. I also used the tractor itself to both mark and cut the wheels. Just jacked up the rear and let the wheel spin in low range and don't try to cut much. Just let the grinder do what it does. 

 

The good thing was because of where my cuts were, the leftover parts make up some nice 6 inch wide spares. 

I didn't even think about using a strip of metal at the joint. I was just thinking I could cut them off good and square and weld them back together.

 

2 hours ago, JoeM said:

There always seems to be wide wheels at the big show. I know Miller Tire sells them on line.

I'm with KPinNC, lots of time involved not to mention you need two sets of wheels.

I do have enough wheels, 2 sets, to make them with but may have to rethink this projecto.

[mrc 1,119]

years ago i wanted a set of wider wheels.   i bought the 10 inch wide ones form miller tire along with the center blanks.   weld in for whatever backspacing you desire

[19richie66 17,935]

I bought blanks and welded the centers in. Easiest way to do it.

[sqrlgtr 3,938]

1 hour ago, mrc said:

years ago i wanted a set of wider wheels.   i bought the 10 inch wide ones form miller tire along with the center blanks.   weld in for whatever backspacing you desire

 

5 minutes ago, 19richie66 said:

I bought blanks and welded the centers in. Easiest way to do it.

 

I checked on doing that, but I could by whole wheel cheaper than buying blanks and centers ( 306 compared to 216 for a set of 2). Found some 12x10.5 fer 108 free shipping and would probably be hard to beat that price but only thing is valve stem is on outside and was really needing them on the inside because of the WH wheel weights I was wanting to run.

[kpinnc 18,967]

3 hours ago, sqrlgtr said:

didn't even think about using a strip of metal at the joint. I was just thinking I could cut them off good and square and weld them back together.

 

I welded up one with, one without. The band made things much easier. Probably much stronger as well. But it's 3 welds all the way around. Two outside and one inside. 

 

 

[JoeM 10,268]

Picked a set of these up at the show $75, but that was an insider price from Fast Eddie's. 

That valve stem on the outside is a luxury, but I have welded them shut and drilled new on the other side.

[sqrlgtr 3,938]

13 minutes ago, JoeM said:

That valve stem on the outside is a luxury, but I have welded them shut and drilled new on the other side.

Agree they are handier about access but do interfere with some types of wheel weights (i.e. Wheel Horse) . 

[sqrlgtr 3,938]

8 hours ago, kpinnc said:

 

I welded up one with, one without. The band made things much easier. Probably much stronger as well. But it's 3 welds all the way around. Two outside and one inside. 

 

 

 

I had it pictured in my head that I could cut em all good and square than just set them on top of each other and tack them a few places then go to welding but sum times them pics in my head don't pan out like I want um too . 

 

20 hours ago, kpinnc said:

I also used the tractor itself to both mark and cut the wheels. Just jacked up the rear and let the wheel spin in low range and don't try to cut much. Just let the grinder do what it does. 

 

This was my plan also.

 

@kpinnc which way did you find was the best way to run grind wheel and rear wheel? Opposite each other or same direction (both clockwise or one clockwise and other counter clockwise). 

[kpinnc 18,967]

2 hours ago, sqrlgtr said:

 

@kpinnc which way did you find was the best way to run grind wheel and rear wheel? Opposite each other or same direction (both clockwise or one clockwise and other counter clockwise). 

 

I ran the wheel opposite of the direction of the grinder. With both wheels off the ground the differential makes it difficult. 

 

Again regardless of direction- don't bear down on the grinder just let it run. The cuts are far better if the grinder creates a straight groove to follow. 

[oliver2-44 11,753]

@Achto  made a set of wide rims and cut them with a grinder

[Achto 32,718]

On 10/8/2026 at 9:44 AM, sqrlgtr said:

I thought I had seen on here where someone had cut a set of wheels with an angle grinder to widen them but cannot find it now.

 

I marked each rim where I wanted to cut them. Bolted the rim on to a tractor, spun the rim in high gear full throttle, & cut through it with a 4 1/2" grinder

 

After all 4 rims were cut, I cut the center out of the outside rims and welded them together.

 

Finished product.

[sqrlgtr 3,938]

24 minutes ago, Achto said:

I marked each rim where I wanted to cut them. Bolted the rim on to a tractor, spun the rim in high gear full throttle, & cut through it with a 4 1/2" grinder

I was thinking maybe I might be better off running the wheel faster (higher gear)

 

@Achto couple ???'s how wide are those wheels in pictures and did you weld both inside where tube goes and the outside where center goes or just one side and if so, which? Thanks

[Achto 32,718]

2 hours ago, sqrlgtr said:

couple ???'s

 

They ended up being 11 1/2" wide. I ground the outside down smooth. On the inside I rounded the weld off good but left some build to the weld.

 

The inside rims were    rims, this ensured the correct off set. The outside rims did not matter so much because I cut the center plate out of them anyway.

[sqrlgtr 3,938]

Decided to tackle wide wheel project today. Got um all cut and got um tacked together. I believe I can make a set of skinny 5/6” wheels out of the leftovers also. Used the 857 that has the LSD 8speed and it worked wonderfully. I was worried the grinder would overcome the differential but only time wheel would quit turning was when cut was almost all way through. FYI I found it easier to finish cut  turning wheel by hand instead of letting tractor drive wheel to finish cut. All that is left is to finish welding and priming/painting wheelz. BTW used high gear and almost wide open throttle and a few cutoff disc later I Ended up with almost 10” wide wheels (between beads).

[8ntruck 9,303]

Comments from a retired engineer who spent 40 years in the automotive steel wheel industry.

 

We made many, many sets of prototype wheels in our Product Engineering group using this method.  We had big lathes to make the cuts, and I think we had custom jigs and fixtures to make the welds.  We'd usually just weld the tire side of the rim - the lathe cut pieces fit close enough to allow that, and there was no weld lump on the ID of the rim to get in the way when pressing the disc in at assembly.

 

Strength was not an issue, as the center of the drop center of a rim is a low stress area.  This is especially true on our tractor wheels.  The biggest issue is making sure there are no air leaks in the weld.

[peter lena 10,067]

@sqrlgtr   while they definitely  look  neat , the lighter  footprint , also creates a traction  issue , maybe  only for  show time ?  pete  

[sqrlgtr 3,938]

2 hours ago, peter lena said:

@sqrlgtr   while they definitely  look  neat , the lighter  footprint , also creates a traction  issue , maybe  only for  show time ?  pete  

bigger foot print more ground to get a hold of  these will probably be loaded with liquid ballast and have wheel weights on them so maybe it want be to bad.

2 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

Comments from a retired engineer who spent 40 years in the automotive steel wheel industry.

 

We made many, many sets of prototype wheels in our Product Engineering group using this method.  We had big lathes to make the cuts, and I think we had custom jigs and fixtures to make the welds.  We'd usually just weld the tire side of the rim - the lathe cut pieces fit close enough to allow that, and there was no weld lump on the ID of the rim to get in the way when pressing the disc in at assembly.

 

Strength was not an issue, as the center of the drop center of a rim is a low stress area.  This is especially true on our tractor wheels.  The biggest issue is making sure there are no air leaks in the weld.

A lathe would be the way to go but I was pleasantly surprised at how good they matched up to be done on the tractor.

[ebinmaine 80,723]

2 hours ago, peter lena said:

@sqrlgtr   while they definitely  look  neat , the lighter  footprint , also creates a traction  issue , maybe  only for  show time ?  pete  

 

53 minutes ago, sqrlgtr said:

bigger foot print more ground to get a hold of  these will probably be loaded with liquid ballast and have wheel weights on them

 

I purposely chose wider tires so I could get more fluid in them for more weight.  

 

Traction is all about friction. PSI. Pounds per Square Inch. 

More fluid. More pounds. The extra width was absolutely worth it.